There's nothing conventional in the management of the Marshall family's farm at Reidsdale, NSW, and nothing conventional about the results, either.

Willows, poplars, chestnuts, oaks and bamboo are used as fodder and to regenerate farm soils and streams, running against the official preference for native speciesand yet by any measure of health, the landscape is flourishing.

Soils are friable and well-structured, ensuring that any moisture that falls on the farm stays there.

Streams flow permanently, in contrast to when Peter and Kate Marshall and their children Keith, Gus and Rita, bought the former dairy farm 'Woodford Lagoon' in 1990.

At the time, the farmnow 250 hectareswas "ruined", Mr Marshall said, with no permanent water; compacted, acidic soil with no 'A' horizon, and dozens of hectares infested with broom bush.

In one spot, water penetrated only about two centimetres deep during a 10 hour immersion under a flood.

For much of the property, the first step toward health has been a Yeomans plow towed behind a low-ground pressure Antonio Carraro 4WD tractor. With a seven-tonne break-out on the tynes, the plow rips to 700 millimetres deep, shattering compaction and opening up the soil volume available to plant roots.

"We've got some areas where we excluded the stock 20 years ago and the soil still hasn't loosened up," Mr Marshall said. "But the minute we've passed a Yeoman's through it, everything comes to life."

Only sheep and goats are allowed back on the uncompacted soil, because the Marshalls have found that cattle hooves apply enough pressure to cause the farm's soils to "plastically fail", or compact beyond a point where natural processes can undo the damage.

Goats have been an essential tool in the farm's regeneration. Killing the broom with chemical wasnt an option, Mr Marshall said, because it encourages the seeds scattered beneath the bush to germinate, requiring another dose of chemicalan ongoing vicious cycle.

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Marshall plan for farming regenerates the landscape

Photo: iStockphoto

Each week, Grub Street surveys the entire restaurant landscape of New York, crunches the numbers, and comes up with this: A list of the most-talked-about, must-visit places in the city. They might be new, or they could be older places that have gotten a recent jolt of buzz. No matter what, these are the restaurants where you should make a point to eat sooner rather than later.

1. Narcissa (Last week: 3) The major critics still have to weigh in, but at the moment, it seems John Fraser's five-week-old downtown restaurant is a major hit, thanks at least in part to those truly excellent carrot fries.

2. Mission Cantina (1) Danny Bowien's menu has been constantly evolving since Cantina officially opened back in November, and this week's bringing the biggest changes yet. If you have not yet been, this is just one more reason to get in on it.

3. Ivan Ramen's Slurp Shop (6) The star attraction at Gotham West Market is Ivan Orkin's superlative ramen spot, and as Pete Wells's ramen roundup this week made clear, it is a true standout among all of the city's top ramen destinations, too.

4. The Cleveland (4) The Soho-Nolita restaurant got a welcome jolt of buzz recently thanks to the announcement that Max Sussman is the new chef. And reports back indicate the chef's work lives up to the hype. Sussman's daily changing menus look very impressive, too.

5. French Louie (14) The cozy, L-shaped dining room at this Atlantic Avenue spot has been more or less full-up since French Louie opened last week. The welcoming vibe and the just-tweaked-enough bistro food look as though they have the potential to make this place a neighborhood favorite for the long haul.

6. Dover (2) Speaking of neighborhood spots, Dover's spare, unfussy storefront dining room belies the level of polish on the food that's coming out of chefs Walker Stern and Joe Ogrodnek's kitchen. Of note: The much-praised lamb-rib dish served here is the kind of entre you can't stop thinking about, even days after your meal.

7. The Clam (5) Turns out the straightforward Market Table approach to cooking works very well when applied to seafood-shack classics just one reason why people continue to crowd into Mike Price's charming new Hudson Street spot.

8. Contra (11) Much has been made of this LES restaurant's $55 tasting menu's value, but don't overlook the hospitable service and truly outstanding wine list, either.

See the rest here:
Grub Streets Restaurant Power Rankings: Where to Eat While You Wait for Spring

"Glamour is magic, a weapon for a girl to wield in this world" fashion designer Alannah Hill describes her role as that of "dreamweaver". Photo: Georges Antoni

Last year, Alannah Hill's world collapsed. A long-running dispute with her business partner saw her leave the iconic fashion label she created almost 20 years ago. She moved from a mansion to a bedsit, fretting about how she'd support her young son. The grief from her mother's death two years prior was still raw. Sometimes, she'd get up early, drive until she found a quiet street and sit there until dusk, seeking refuge from the chaos.

"I was utterly devastated," Hill says, breaking her silence on the split that shocked Australia's fashion industry. "I was inconsolable. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I just stayed home, too broken to venture out. I couldn't even bear to hear my name spoken."

My voice was being diluted. My wit and my personality were gone. In the end, we had to make a deal.

The reason is that she no longer owns her name - her former business partner, Factory X, does. "Leaving my brand was not my ideal outcome ... I never imagined this would happen," says Hill. "I thought I'd be there forever."

Since the partnership imploded last year, Factory X, co-founded by David Heeney, has continued the Alannah Hill label, albeit without any input from its namesake. But you have not heard the last of the woman who is one of Australia's most eccentric and loved designers.

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In an exclusive interview with Sunday Life, Hill reveals her plans for a new label, Louise Love; "Louise" being her middle name. "I just had to have a name that was linked to me," she says. "Louise Love is a brand new girl ... actually, she is a reinvention of a girl who was almost buried alive."

Hill is full of enthusiasm on the day we meet, the result of her new venture. "Get off my grass!" she screams at the birds pecking at her nature strip, chasing after them in a towering pair of ruby platform heels. "That lawn is my pride and joy."

Hill begins a tour of her inner-Melbourne beachside home, which she bought after settling with Heeney last year. "Follow me, luvvy!" she says. It's an enchanting space, practically an Alannah Hill store writ large. Enormous chandeliers fill every room, with plush scarlet carpet abutting the ivory and baby-pink walls. The furniture is French, upholstered in luxurious rose and purple velvet, complemented by ornately patterned mirrors.

See the article here:
The art of reinvention

Richmond Hill Liberal

Why not think spring and attend free workshops in March and April to get your yard ready?

An eco-landscaping workshop series presented by SNAP (Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan) and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority provides information on design and upkeep of your front yard and permeable pavement options for driveways, all while ensuring the safety of the environment and preserving the natural qualities of Lake Wilcox.

All workshops take place at Oak Ridges Community Centre, 12895 Bayview Ave., from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The first session, Wednesday, March 5 focuses on permeable paving and ways to pave your driveway using safe and eco-friendly methods.

March 19 learn about rain gardens and rain barrels, then April 2 you can find out more about water efficient plants through experienced gardeners and find out about native plants from LEAF and Richmond Hill Healthy Yards program.

The Apr. 16 session will focus on landscape and design; get ideas from experts to make an original landscape plan suited to your front yard.

To attend, register at 416-661-6600 ext. 5780, or at LWSNAP@trca.on.ca

- Sera Wong

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Think spring with free Richmond Hill yard workshops

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Exchange seeks host families

Foreign Links Around the Globe is looking for families throughout the Kansas City metro area to host foreign exchange students next year. For more information, contact coordinator Candy Schoenberger at 913-592-5112 or candyschoenberger@gmail.com.

People at Spring Hill High School arent scary at all, foreign exchange students were happy to learn.

Spring Hill is a far cry from Spain, Germany and Brazil.

And thats exactly what makes the little Kansas town that straddles the Johnson-Miami County border so cool, gushed four teenage girls who are participating in the Foreign Links Around the Globe exchange program.

Candy Gonzalez, 16, and Cristina Salazar, 15, both from Spain, joined fellow exchange students Saskia Heussner, 17, of Germany, and Gabi Santana, 16, of Brazil, for an open house presentation last weekend at the Spring Hill Civic Center. The girls are spending their senior year at Spring Hill High School.

To an audience filled with interested families, the girls described the history, culture and architecture of their hometowns.

Afterward, sitting around a table at a local pizza joint, they shared some of the differences between life abroad and life in the States.

For most of them, joining the exchange program was a way to explore a culture that has fascinated them since childhood.

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When you come from overseas, Spring Hill seems downright exotic

Get ready to channel your inner French-Canadian lumberjack.Photo: Melissa Hom

Doug Crowell and chef Ryan Angulo, the team behind Buttermilk Channel, have just opened a 50-seat restaurant on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill. The food's French-American, of course, and the moniker is on loan from the tale of the 19th-century hermit, guide, and trapper of the same name. The menu includes and a foie-and-country-ham terrine, flounder Grenobloise, smoked sardines, and three different steak-frites options the most expensive of which is a 28-day dry-aged specimen, which comes in at a reasonable $36.

Pastry chef Erica Ohrling, an alum of Vinegar Hill House, will oversee desserts like profiteroles with fennel-pollen ice cream (veggie dessert alert!) and a pineapple-tarte tatin. Designer Joseph Foglia decked the dining room out with a hand-painted mural of an Adirondack mountain landscape and a wood-paneled bar. There's also a tree-canopied garden space that seats 40.

The restaurant is open for dinner now; expect breakfast, lunch, and brunch service soon complete with Counter Culture coffee and Bien Cuit pastries.

Point Judith flouder with blood-orange Grenobloise, brioche croutons, and roasted cauliflower.Photo: Melissa Hom

Buckwheat pappardelle, oxtail ragout, broccoli rabe, and cured egg.Photo: Melissa Hom

Brussels sprouts almondine.Photo: Melissa Hom

Kabocha squash with heirloom bean stew and Kaffir lime pistou.Photo: Melissa Hom

Food [PDF] Drinks [PDF]

French Louie, 320 Atlantic Ave., 718-935-1200

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What to Eat at French Louie, the Buttermilk Channel Teams New Boerum Hill Restaurant

Published 4:29pm Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The Hartselle City Council is planning to approve a $357,905 bid from Triple J Construction in Crane Hill to landscape Hartselles two exits on I-65 and medians at the intersection of U.S. 31 and Alabama 36.

Department of Development director Jeff Johnson said the Alabama Department of Transportation and engineers from Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood have given the green light to accept the low bid, despite it being more than $150,000 less than the next closest bid.

They feel comfortable with the contractor, Johnson said. Ive received tractor, Johnson said. Ive received good reviews from other clients that theyve worked for.

Johnson said when a $53,000 extra charge is added by ALDOT for upkeep and inspection, the project is still $76,000 under budget.

That does give us an option to increase the quantity of certain shrubs or plants, but it cannot exceed more than 15 percent of the original bid price without approval from ALDOT, Johnson said.

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Landscape project $76k under budget

U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner (Lewis Geyer, Longmont Times-Call)

Republican Congressman Cory Gardner intends to drop his re-election bid to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Mark Udall, lobbing a bombshell that alters Colorado's political landscape for the November elections.

Shortly after The Denver Post first reported Gardner's plans, the GOP front-runner in the Senate race, Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, revealed he was going to run for Gardner's seat in the 4th Congressional District.

A number of Republicans, including former state GOP chairman Dick Wadhams, hailed Gardner's move.

"This is a game changer not only for Colorado Republicans in the Senate race, but also it totally changes the entire 2014 election," Wadhams said Wednesday. "Cory is someone who all Republicans can rally around and can usher in a new generation of statewide leadership to our party and the state of Colorado."

Former Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck

Gardner, who is viewed as a rising star by the national GOP, has criticized Udall over his support for the Affordable Care Act.

Udall's campaign said the senator "looks forward to debating the important issues that impact our future."

"From flood and wildfire recovery efforts to ensuring that every family has the opportunity to get ahead to standing up to the NSA and protecting Coloradans' freedom to be left alone, Mark spends every day working to protect Colorado's special way of life," said Udall's campaign spokesman Chris Harris.

Denver political consultant Eric Sondermann said the Gardner move "single handily puts Colorado at the center of the battle for U.S. Senate that Republicans are waging."

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Cory Gardner to challenge Mark Udall, Ken Buck to seek Gardner's seat

WORCESTER Jonathan M. Weaver studied English as a major at Assumption College and he chose to minor in philosophy and politics.

So, it probably caught some people by surprise, that, after graduating in 2006, he began pursuing job opportunities in the urban development field.

"My parents, though, had a pretty good idea about where I might eventually look for a job," said the 29-year-old Mr. Weaver, who lives at 16 Homestead Ave. in Auburn. "When I was a kid, I liked to play with Legos, Lincoln logs and trucks. They probably figured that I might get a job in a field that had something to do with building things."

Mr. Weaver, a senior project manager at the Worcester Business Development Corp., has, within a short period of time, caught the attention of many in the city who are charged with planning and designing the urban landscape.

Because of his early career accomplishments, Mr. Weaver has been chosen by the Telegram & Gazette to receive the Young Leader Award at the Visions Community Awards program that will be held at 4:30 p.m. March 5 at Mechanics Hall. Carmen M. Ortiz, the U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, will be the keynote speaker.

Mr. Weaver was born in Putnam and grew up in Danielson. A former high school hockey goalie, Mr. Weaver became familiar with Central Massachusetts when he attended Assumption, where he is now pursuing a master's degree in business administration.

While in college, Mr. Weaver said, he immersed himself in student government activities and was elected president of the Student Government Association during his senior year.

He said he thought it was always important that students attending college in Worcester learn more about the city by taking part in its various cultural, entertainment and other offerings. To that end, he and other student leaders convinced the Worcester Regional Transit Authority to set up a bus stop on campus so that the students could get about.

Mr. Weaver, who was also involved in associations involving student leaders from the other area colleges and universities, said he also got a grasp about the city's development agenda when he was invited to attend a program about The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts while it was undergoing renovations.

"I really was impressed about what I heard and I was fascinated with the work that was being done," Mr. Weaver said.

The rest is here:
'Young Leader' envisions the urban landscape

How bad are things in Congress right now for Democrats? So bad that a guy who has been there 58 years is calling it quits. I mean, cmon, where does he have to go?

Theyre dropping like flies up on Capitol Hill. So far, nine House Democrats have announced theyre retiring; two just flat-out resigned, see ya, were outta here.

That 58-year congressman, John Dingell, had this to say about the modern-day American legislature: I find serving in the House to be obnoxious. The enormous expense of money made by people in the course of the campaign has not been well spent in the interest of the public.

Shocker. Congress is a dismal dystopia loaded with disgruntled dyspeptics. Huh. And it took him 58 years to figure out that?

With winter giving way to spring, all the talk is now turning to the 2014 mid-terms, whos up, whos down, whos in, whos out. The consensus across the board is that Democrats are most decidedly down and definitely out. None of the lofty political pundits sees the party of the president picking up enough seats to take over the House. Most predict Dems lose seats; some say they lose a bunch.

More, talk is beginning to swirl that Democrats might just lose their majority in the Senate. Already, two longtime legislators have bailed resigned, not retired. They looked at the landscape, may have even gazed into the future, and said, nuh uh. And inside the chilled Senate halls, those too afraid to run are frozen in fear, with nowhere to turn.

None, for instance, are turning to the leader of their party, President Obama. Gallup puts his approval rating at just 44 percent, with disapproval at 53 percent (he took roughly 53 percent of the vote when he won in 2008). Hes toxic and, in record time, already a lame duck. No one needs him as an ally and, frankly, like your kids on a trip to the mall, no one wants to been seen anywhere near him.

The playing field is clearly tilted toward Republicans this time around. Sean Trende, who not surprisingly covers electoral trends for realclearpolitics.com, says there are 17 competitive Senate races, 15 of which are held by Democrats, two of which are held by Republicans.

In a complicated analysis called a Monte Carlo simulation, Trende sees this trend: Democrats lose, big. This is a grim picture for Senate Democrats, suggesting that the president would have to get his approval above 50 percent by Election Day before they would be favored to hold the chamber, he wrote in a piece titled How Likely Are Democrats to Lose the Senate?

Sure, there are scenarios and simulation models in which Democrats hold the Senate, or even gain seats. But, he notes: There are also, however, situations where the election turns into an absolute debacle for Democrats.

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CURL: Fear and trembling for Democrats on Capitol Hill